This invention relates in general to anti-rattle bumpers for vehicle armrest assemblies. In particular, this invention relates to an improved structure for such an anti-rattle bumper that prevents a vehicle armrest assembly from rattling during operation of the vehicle.
Vehicles, such as passenger cars, typically include armrest assemblies for the comfort of vehicle occupants. Often, in vehicles with a bench-type seat, a center armrest assembly is provided that may be moved between a lowered use position and a raised storage position. When in the lowered use position, the armrest assembly is available for use by occupants on either side thereof. When in the raised storage position, the center portion of the seat is available for use. The armrest assembly is typically mounted to the seat frame for relative movement between the lowered use position and the raised storage position as desired.
It is often desirable to positively retain the armrest assembly in the raised storage position in order to prevent inadvertent movement toward the lowered use position during operation of the vehicle. To accomplish this, it is known to provide a latch to retain the armrest assembly in the raised storage position. In such instances, a mechanism may be provided to selectively release the latch and allow the armrest assembly to be moved from the raised storage position to the lowered use position when desired. However, it has been found that under certain circumstances, the latch may not hold the armrest assembly completely still during operation of the vehicle. This can result in the generation of undesirable vibrations and noise. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved structure for an anti-rattle bumper that prevents a vehicle armrest assembly from rattling during operation of the vehicle.